Can cover



March 24, 1936. J M, HoTHERgALL 2,934,72Q

CAN COVER Filed Oct. 2, 1933 INVENTOR W1- math ATTORNEYS Patented Mar.24, 1936 UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 2, 1933,Serial No. 691,871

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in friction can coverplugs, and has more particular reference to the conformation of theplugs to avoid tight nesting and sticking together when they arearranged in stacked formation.

Tight nesting and sticking together of stacked plugs interferes withtheir proper feeding from a magazine to various operating parts ofmachines as for example can closing machines wherein the plug is appliedto a filled can. In such feeding operations the lowermost plug isremoved from the stack and obviously deep nesting or sticking togetherof adjacent plugs presents serious obstacles to an effective feedingaction. The present invention eliminates the difficulty by preventingsuch deep nesting and sticking together.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a friction plughaving its peripheral edge formed so that it supports the adjacentsuperimposed plug and prevents deep nesting, sticking or wedgingtogether when in stacked formation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of friction plugshaving a conformation designed to present line contact ascontradistinguished from surface contact when the plugs are in stackedformation.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide non-sticking frictionplugs with a yielding section designed to spring back under a pressureapplied to adjacent stacked plugs so that only a line contact is hadbetween any two plugs, thus preventing deep nesting, sticking andwedging of the stacked plugs.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a friction plug embodying the presentinvention; and

Fig. 2 is a section of two stacked plugs drawn to a larger scale.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a frictionplug H having a central drawn panel with a bottom wall I 2 which mergesby means of a rounded peripheral corner [3 into an upstanding frictionwall [4. The upper edge of the wall I4 is preferably curled outwardly,upwardly and inwardly to form an open or unfinished curl. IS, thebounding walls of which leave an annular open space It.

When the plugs II are stacked as shown in Fig. 2, the panel corner I3 ofthe top plug makes a mere line contact with the curl l5 of the lowerplug, each plug in the stack resting upon and being supported by theplug immediately below. The curl being springy by reason of its openconstruction serves as a cushion and pressure tending to squeeze theplugs together even when excessive can only deform the curl l5 andperhaps close the annular opening IS. The line contact still obtains,however, and such cushioning is effective to prevent deep nesting,wedging and sticking together of the plugs even under such extremeconditions.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A friction plug comprising a central panel portion having acontinuous cylindrical friction wall terminating in an outwardly andthence inwardly curled edge which provides supporting surfaces forsimilar plugs when stacked one adjacent the other, the curl of each plugin the stack supporting the panel portion of the adjacent plug toprevent deep nesting, sticking and wedging together, said outward curlproviding a shoulder for the extraction of the friction plug.

2. A friction plug comprising a cupped central panel portion having arounded corner and a friction wall, said Wall terminating in acontinuous curl formed outwardly from said friction wall and thenceinwardly and which provides a support for an adjacent plug when similarplugs are stacked together, the said curl of each plug engaging andsupporting the rounded corner of the panel portion of the plug adjacentand preventing deep nesting, sticking and wedging together by presentingonly a tangential peripheral contact of one plug with another.

3. A friction plug comprising a cupped central panel portion having arounded corner and a friction Well, said wall terminating in an opencontinuous curl formed outwardly from said friction wall and thenceinwardly and which provides a yielding tangential peripheral engagementwith the rounded corners of the panel portions of adjacent plugs whensimilar plugs are stacked together, such yielding line engagementpreventing deep nesting, sticking and wedging between adjacent frictionplugs when in stacked formation.

JOHN M. HOTHERSALL.

